Rack device



G. H. HIRSCHEL RACK DEVICE March 1, 1932.

- Filed Oct. 12. 1931 Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE enoaon n. mscnnn, or cn'rcseo, ILLINOIS BACK DEVICE Application filed October 12, 1931. Serial No. 568,260.

The present invention relates generally to devices for use in connection with plts over which automobiles and like vehicles.

an improved device of this type which is in the form of a rack, has a jack mounted therei on and is movable from one end of the pit to the other so that the jack may be POSI- Ilo tioned at any desired point under an auto-' mobile above the pit.

Another object of the invention" is to provide a rack device of the type under consideration which comprises an elongated jack- 2o supporting member and embodieshooks at the ends-i the member which are adapted to rest upon the tracks at the sides of the pit and form a sliding connection whereby the jack-supporting member is supported in an elevated position and is shiftable lengthwise of the pit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack device ofthe type under consid; eration in which the hook means at one so .end of the jack-supporting member is adjustable longitudinally of the member so that the device may be used in connection with pits which vary in width. I

Astill further object of the invention is to as provide a rack device for use in connection with a greasing pit for'automobiles, which is exceedin lysimple as far as construction is concerne and may be produced .at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the presentrack devi will be apparent from p a consideration of the following detailed description.-

5 The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set'for'th and- ,rare more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. v

, In thedrawings, which accompany and form a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side view of a rack device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective illustrating the 56 manner in which the books at the ends of the elongated jack-supporting member engage the pit tracks and form a sliding connection whereby the device is shiftable lengthwise 60 of the pit; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section exhibiting in detail the (construction of the jack-su porting member and the manner in which t e latter is connected to and supportedby the hook means. i The rack device which forms the subject matter of the invention comprises an elongated supporting member 4 and is adapted for use in connection with a pit P over which automobiles and like vehicles may be driven for greasing or repair purposes. The pit P is of the type which is generally used inconnection with garages and gasoline dispensing stations, and is defined by a pair of side walls p. The latter are formed of concrete or any other suitable material and support a pair of tracks T. These tracks are formed of I-beams and consist of web portions 27 and flanges .t. The web portions extend horio zontally and are adapted to receive the wheels of an automobile which is driven over the pit. The flanges t are formed integrally with and project upwardly from the mar- I gins of the web portions 6 and prevent the 35 automobile Wheels from running off the tracks. The tracks T are partially embedded in the side wallsp of the pit and rest upon a pair of I-beams B which are embedded or otherwise secured in the side walls.

The elongated member 4 of the rack de- 'viceforms a support for a jack 5 and extends transversely of the pit. It is formed of wood or any other-suitable material and extends horizontally. The jack 5 comprises a verti- 'cally movable element 6 and a base plate 7; The element 6 is adapted, in response to pressure, to move vertically so "as to raise a load imposed thereon. The base late 7 of the jack fits against the top face 0 the elongated supporting member and is fixedly secured in place by means of rivets or bolts 8 which pass into the member 4. One end of the supporting member is suspended from one of the tracks T by a pair of. hooks 9. The other end of the supporting member 4 is suspended from the other track by a pair of hooks 10. The hooks 9 are formed of plate steel and are formed integrally with and project upwardly from a cross-piece 11. They are twisted as at 12, so as to extend lengthwise of the member 4 and fit over the inner flange t of the track T with which they are associated, so as to, form aslidingconnection whereby the member 4 may 'be shifted from one end of the pit to the other for jack positioning purposes. The cross-piece 11 underlies the jack-supporting member 4 and is secured by bolts 13 to an angle iron bar 14. This bar comprises a. vertical leg 14*- and a horizontal leg 14", and is secured to the bottom face of the supporting member 4 by bolts 15 which are carried by the leg 14". The bolts 13 for securing the cross-piece 11 to the angle iron bar 14 extend through and are carried by-the vertical leg 14*. The bolts 15 extend through longitudinally extending slots 16 in the member 4 so that the hooks 9 may be adjusted longitudinally of the member and thus adapt the rack device for use in connection with pits which vary in width. r

The hooks 10, like the hooks 9, are formed of plate steel. They 'are formed integrally with and project upwardly from the ends of a cross-p1ece'17 and are twisted, as at 18, so that they extend longitudinally of the jack-supporting member 4 andengage the inner flange t of the adjoining track T. The cross'piece l7 underlies the member 4 and is secured by bolts 19 to an angle iron bar 20. The latteris similar to the bar 14 and is secured to the member 4 by bolts 21.

The rack device is operatively positioned with respect to the pit P by arranging the hooks 9 and 10 so that they engage and are r supported by the inner flanges t of the tracks member 4 is sustainedin'an elevated posi- P T. In this position, the jack-supporting tion and is movable from one end of the pit to the other. When it is desired to shift into-a raised position an automobile over the pit, tlib rack device is shifted until'the jack 5 is dis osed in the proper position. Thereafter, t e .jack is operated so as to raise the automobile above the tracks T, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. By virtue of the fact that the rack device is suspended from the tracks T andjs slidable lengthwise of the pit, thejack may'be readilv shifted into any desired position. When the jack 5 is not used for raising an automobile over the pit, the support 4 may be used as a rack or rest for tools or other-equipment and may be shifted by the individual in the pit from place to place. If the rack device isto be end of the pit to the other. If desired, the s end portions of the elongated member 4 may be used to support a pair of jacks 22 at the sides of the fixedly mounted jack 5.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v a

1. In combination with a pit having flanged tracks'hlong the upper portions of the side walls thereof for supporting a vehicle above the pit, a rack device comprising an elongated horizontally positioned jack-supporting meniber extending transversely across the "top of the it and of such length that the ends thereo terminate at the side walls of the pit, and a pair of metallic U-shaped elements secured to the ends of the member and arranged so that thecross pieces thereof underlie the member. and the side pieces project upwardly, the upper ends 'of the side pieces being shaped to form hooks and being twisted so that the hooks face outwardly and engage the track flanges in order to form with the latter sliding connections whereby the member is supported sothat it may be slid from one end of the pit to the other in order toposition the jack at any desired point beneath the vehicle.

2. A rack device for supportin a jack at the top, and for movement lengt wisefof a pit having flanged tracks along the upper ortions of the side walls thereof, compr1smg an elongated member for sustammg the jack infa vertical position adapted to extend horizontally across the pit and of sufiicient length substantially to bridge the pit, and a pair of outwardly facing books at the ends of the member for engaging the track flanges and supporting the member -for sliding move:

ment lengthwise of the pit, one of the hooks of a It and slot connection so that it is adjustable longitudinally of the member to and from the other hook in order todevice for use in connection .with i g fl t varyin width. v 3. A rack device for support ng'a at iii,"

beingmconnected to the member by means upper portions of the side walls thereof, comprising an elongated member adapted to extend horizontally across the pit and forming a supporting surface for the jack, said memher being of suificient length substantially to bridge the pit and having a longitudinal slot in one end thereof, and a pair of outwardly, facing hooks at the ends of the member for engagin the track flanges and supporting the mem er for sliding movement lengthwise of the pit, one of the hooks being connected fixedly to the other end of the member and the other hook bein connected to the said one end of the mem er by means of a bolt extending through the slot so that it is adjustable to and from the said one hook in order to adapt the device for use in, connection with pits that vary in width.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 9th day of October, 1931.

GEORGE H. HIRSOHEL. 

